Road grading and ditching machine.



J. R. 'PILE.

ROAD GRADING AND DITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.26, I9I5.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

2 SHEETS,SHEET I.

J. R. PILE.

ROAD GRADING AND DITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00126, I915.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN R. PILE,

OF OWENSBORO,

KENTUCKY.

ROAD GRADING AND DITCI-IING MACHINE.

Application filed October 26, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. PILE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess, State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Road Grading and Ditching llachine; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved road rading and ditching machine, and an obect of the invention is to provide a pair of plow beams so connected adjustably relative to each other, that one may be adjusted in advance of the other as to hold a scraper blade at different angles, that when grading a road bed, the dirt and the like that may accumulate in front of the blade may be pushed oif to one side, there being means whereby the plow beams and said blades are held rigid relative to each other, to maintain the scraper blade at the angle to which it has been adjusted.

Another object of the invention is that when the machine or apparatus is moving in one direction over the road, scraping the accumulated dirt toward the center of the road bed, the scraper blade may be adjusted upon a reverse angle, when the apparatus or machine returns in the opposite direction upon the other side of the road, so that the dirt may be scraped from the center of the road, and in the same direction as it was previously scraped, and completely to the side of the road.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for raising and lowering the forward portion of each of said plow beams, for regulating the depth of the scraper blade.

In practical fields the details of construction may necessitate alterations, falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is plan view of the improved grading and ditching machine constructed in accordance with the invention, and showing a scraper blade extending at an angle in one direction. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the scraper blade extending at. an angle in theopposite direction.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 57,984.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the machine, but eliminating the parts that may be seen in the rear of the side that is shown. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of the scraper blade showing its connection to one of the plow beams. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the scraper or cutting blade illustratlng a drag blade that may be attached thereto as shown, and which may be adustable toward one side or the other of the apparatus, but in parallelism with the scraper blade, so that in case the road is a trifle wider than the scraper blade, the use of said drag blade will avoid the necessity of returning the machine along the road upon its other side; in other words, the drag blade permits the machine to scrape the entire road bed when moving in one direction.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate the plow beams, each of which is provided with a rear downwardly extending part 3. Secured to the opposite faces of the lower end of each part 3 are rearwardly extending plates 4, between which the supporting disk wheels 5 are arranged, and journaled upon pins 6. Also secured to the outer faces of the plates 4 by the pin 6 of each plow beam are the bars 7 of the frame 8, which supports a seat 9 for an operator. The bar 10 of the frame 8 extends downwardly and forwardly, and is fastened to the plates 4 by the bolt 11, which extends between the plates 4, and is provided with a nut 12. One of the plates of both pairs at its forward end is provided with a lateral extension 13 having a downwardly extending lugl l. Secured upon the outer faces of the downwardly extending parts 3 of the plow beams as shown at 15, are plates 16 having lateral extensions 17, which are provided with downwardly eX- tending lugs 18. The lateral extensions 17 of both sides of the apparatus or machine are alined above the lateral extensions 13.

Secured to the rear convexed face of the scraper blade 19 are the curved plates 20, the upper and lower ends of which are provided with lateral ears 21, to receive the lugs 14 and 18, thereby pivoting the scraper blade to the downwardly extending portions 3 of the plow beams, so that the plow beams may be adjusted one in advance of the other. Secured in any suitable manner to the rear surface of the scraper blade 19 near its up- Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

per edge is a bar 22 angular in cross section. The flange 23 of this bar 22 is provided with a series of apertures 24. The inner faces of the plow beams are provided with eyes 25, to receive the hooked ends 26 of the rods 27 and 28. By adjusting the adjacent hcoked ends 29 of the rods 27 and 28 in any two adjacent apertures 24 of the flange 23, the scraper blade may be held at different angles, relative to the plow beams in plan view. These rods 27 and 28 also hold the parts of the structure rigid substantially. By adjusting the hooked ends 29 from the apertures 24 in Fig. 1 to the corresponding apertures near the opposite extreme end of the flange 23, as shown in Fig. 2, the scraper blade may be held in a reverse angle. to that shown in Fig. 1. Pivoted at 30 to said plow beams are the levers 81, the lower ends of which are Provided with rectangular portions 32, in which are mounted the spindles 33 of the fork members 44, in the forks of which the wheels 45 are journaled. Secured at 36 to both plow beams are segmental plates 37 having teeth 38, to receive the dogs 39 mounted in the guides 40 of the levers 41, which are pivoted at 42 to the plow beams. The levers 41 have hand grips 43 provided with rod connections 44 to the dogs, whereby the dogs may be raised out of engagement with the teeth 38, to permit the levers 41 to be adjusted. Connecting the upper end of each of the levers 41 and each of the levers 81 are rods 45. By moving the levers 41 forwardly or backwardly, the levers 31 may be tilted forwardly or backwardly. hen tilting the upper ends of the levers 41 forwardly, their lower end portions are moved rearwardly, thereby more or less raising the wheels 85 off the road bed, which will permit the scraper blade to cut farther into the road bed, but when said levers 31 are arranged as shown in Fig. 8, the scraper blade may scrape the upper surface of the road bed. The forward ends of the plow beams are connected by the bar 47, by virtue of the pins 48 and 49. Also secured by the pin 48 is an eye or link 50, which in turn is linked to the eye 51 of the bar 52. Secured to the pin 49 is an eye 58, towhich a chain 54 is connected, which in turn-is connected to an eye 55 of the other end of the bar 52. By virtue of the clevises 56 which extend forwardly, the two equalizers or double-trees or swingletrees (not shown) of two teams (not shown) may be connected to the bar 52. for drawing the apparatus or grading machine over the road bed.

When the machine is drawn over the road bed in one direction, the scraper blade is disposed on an angle as shown in Fig. 1, but

when the machine or apparatus is returned 'over the road bed in the opposite direction and upon the opposite side of the road bed,"

thescraper blade'is disposed on an angle as shown in Fig. 2, thereby scraping both sides of the road bed, the dirt being scraped to the same side.

In Fig. 5 a drag blade 58 is disclosed having the upwardly extending rods 59 provided with overhanging hooks 60, which may engage any two of the apertures 24 of the flange 23 of the bar 22, as shown in Fig. 5. While the drag blade 58 is only shown inFig. 5, it is to be understood that it is not to be considered as a modification. ;The drag blade 58 may be employed when the road bed is a trifle wider than'the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1, so asto be adjusted farther beyond one end or the other of the scraper blade, so that the entire road bed may be scraped, without returning uponthe other side thereof. \Vhen changing the scraper blade from the position shown in Fig. 1, to that shown in Fig. 2, it is apparent that the bar 52 and the chain 54 should be reversed. i

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In a road grading and ditching machine, the combination of a pair of plow beams, each having at its rear an angular portion comprising two parts one extending downwardly, and the other rearwardly, said beams being arranged in parallelism in plan view, a scraper element having its rear portion adjacent its ends pivoted to the downwardly extending parts of the angularportions of the plow beam, a transverse member having its ends pivotally connected to the forward ends of the plow beams, drafting means connected to the pivots of the trans verse member and the plow beams, .said scraper element having an angular plate upon its rear face provided with a series of apertures, and link rods, the forward end of each being pivotally connected to the inner face of one of the plow beams, said link rods having their rear extremities terminating in angular ends adjustable in the apertures of the angular plate of the scraper element, whereby the scraper element may be adjusted to ditferent angles to the plow beams in plan view. 7

2. In a road grading and ditching vmachine, the combination of a pair of plow beams, each having at its rear an angular portion comprising two parts, one extend- 7 ing downwardly, and the other rearwardly, said beams being arranged in parallelism in plan view, a scraper element having upon its rear surface a pair of U-shaped brackets, one arranged vertically adjacent each end of the scraper element, said downwardly extending parts of the angular portions of the plow beams having upper and lower angular extensions extending downwardly through the upper and lower parts of the U- shaped brackets, thereby pivot-ally uniting the end portions of the scraper element to said plow beams, a transverse member having its ends pivotally connected to the forward ends of the plow beams, drafting means connected to the pivots of the transverse member and the plow beams, adjustable supporting means for the forward parts of the plow beams, supporting Wheels for the rearwardly extending portions of the angular parts of the plow beam, and means connected to the inner faces of the plow beams and having adjustable connections with the scraper element, Wherebv the scraper element may be adjusted to different angles to the plow beams in plan View.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN R. PILE.

Witnesses:

GROVER C. HILL, JAs. H. WHITE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

